Lazy Evening
by Traveling Trainer
Summary: Two explorers, with some time on their hands and nothing planned, do what they do best. A short, Mystery Dungeon-themed oneshot.


Patches of flowers tickled at my ankles as I reached the end of the trail, the dirt road giving way to a pointed, rocky outcropping, coastal breezes blowing in from the western sea and rippling the flag that stood at the end of the cliff. A few loose petals caught a sudden updraft and were blown into me, and I blinked in surprise, carefully brushing a paw across my chest and watching the thin, colorful plants swirl around, then drift downwards towards the water below. The setting sun cast countless sparkles across the horizon, and I brought an arm up to shield my eyes from the blinding orange light, feeling the groceries shift around on my back, my aura tassels bumping against the leather. Kneeling down, I reached out and grabbed the knob of a trapdoor, pulling it upwards.

"Rose, I'm back!" I called out, taking a step onto the small staircase and letting the door fall shut above my head, the comfy grass giving way to dusty stone as I descended into Sharpedo Bluff. I poked my head out into the doorway, smiling and walking fully into the open room when I spotted a cream-furred fox resting in the middle of the room, her attention torn away from the open book that lay between her front paws.

"Oh, Bill! I thought you might be home soon." Her red eyes softened when I waved at her, nine fluffy tails starting to gently wag up and down, and I walked over to the campfire that crackled nearby, letting the treasure bag slip to the ground. "Was it busy in town? I can't believe it's already almost time for the harvest again..."

"Nah, it was actually pretty quiet over there. The Kecleon haven't had their stock picked over much yet, either," I replied with a shake of my head, sitting down next to the Ninetales. Opening the flap of the treasure bag, I reached inside, digging through the various fruits and vegetables resting within, winking cheekily at my partner in the meantime. "But, more importantly... I got a surprise for you while I was there."

I couldn't help but grin when I saw Rose's ears perk up, and the fire type tilted her head slightly, a soft, happy smile quickly worming its way onto her muzzle. She bashfully ducked her head away, raising a paw to brush at her face, but she gasped quietly when she accidentally closed her book in the process, the bark. "What? Oh- oops!"

My smile faded slightly as she nudged the book open again, and I sheepishly looked back at our groceries, narrowing my eyes as I searched harder for the surprise in question, pushing back the apples and cheris, tamatos and potatoes. Finally, there was a flash of dark teal among the warmer colors, and I snatched it up, drawing the paw-sized berry out into the open air. Rose, who had been leafing through the pages, glanced at me, and her jaw dropped in surprise when I offered her the fruit.

"They had yache berries!?" She exclaimed, pouncing forward and taking the hard berry into her mouth, sinking her teeth into it with a satisfying crunching noise. As she gleefully chomped away at the treat, I leaned sideways and rescued her book, sliding it over to the treasure bag. Rose audibly gulped down her first bite of her snack, and a refreshed sigh escaped her afterward. "Aaah... this is really wonderful... thank you so much, Bill."

At first, I said nothing, simply tousling my partner's headfur in response, a few strands falling in front of her eyes, and she gently shook her head, sending the ponytail back between her ears. I moved my paw down to scratch her cheek, and she nuzzled into my wrist for a moment, her cold, wet nose sending a tingle through my nerves. "I only got one, though, and it was pretty expensive. Once Cyan and Erin get back from their escort work tomorrow, we should look over our money again and see how often we can treat ourselves."

Rose let out an 'mmhm' of agreement, her gaze drifting over to her book as I pulled my arm back, and I scooped up the bark-bound tome, holding it tightly in one paw while closing up the treasure bag with the other. Pushing the groceries away with a kick of my legs, I scooted closer to Rose, tensing up ever-so-slightly, then relaxing just as quickly, when the fox's nine tails lightly pressed into my back. I leaned into the soft, fluffy fur, feeling myself sliding further and further down onto the floor until I was almost lying flat on the bed of hay.

"So, we've got the whole evening to ourselves..." I began, speaking slowly. "Anything in particular you want to do? Stargazing up top? Maybe go to the beach and see if the Krabby are blowing bubbles?"

One of the fire type's ears flicked slightly as she sent me a shy look, her voice completely devoid of subtext. "...could we just cuddle tonight?"

I paused at that, stopping just short of bringing my arms back behind my head, the tips of my pawpads just barely grazing my aura tassels, and after a few short seconds of thought, I smiled and nodded, patting my midriff with the bark book. Rose's face brightened, and she took her snack into her jaws, got to her feet, stepped in front of me, and then pushed, flopping onto me and nestling her head in the crook of my neck. The fox wiggled a little bit, her own fur tangling and tickling mine, and I shivered at the sensation, wrapping my arms around her belly and affectionately squeezing. Opening my partner's book, I aimlessly flipped through the pages.

"Do you remember where you were before?" I asked, as the Ninetales idly chewed on the shell of the yache berry.

"Mm-mm." Rose shook her head, then swallowed her foot. Before she responded, she wrapped her tails over our bodies like a blanket. "We can just start reading from the beginning again. I don't mind."

I promptly closed the book, then peeled away the front cover yet again, looking at the title on the first page, scribbled with far too much of a flourish than it probably needed. With a brief, stifled cough to clear my throat, I took a deep breath, then spoke. "Studies of Human Civilization, by the Chronicler..."


End file.
